'The society belittles us' - Ken Agyapong fumes in Parliament over treatment of MPs by Ghanaians

The Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, has bemoaned the treatment of parliamentarians by Ghanaians.

Speaking at the emergency sitting of parliament on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, Ken Agyapong expressed his dissatisfaction while commenting on some amendments to the Roads Regulations Act LI 2180, which the Ministry of Transport was attempting to lay before Parliament for approval.

The Assin Central legislator, like many of his colleagues, was not happy about the fact that the Speaker of Parliament and MPs were excluded from the list of Ghanaians who are allowed to use sirens and a motorcade.

“I want to caution my colleagues to be bold for once because we’ve been cowards to the public. When it comes to anything concerning parliament, we are afraid of the reaction of the public but anything that the government needs, they will first come to parliament. For a whole speaker, you say that he cannot even enjoy a motorcade. Who is Kennedy Agyapong? Who went to Senate and enjoyed motorcade under President Kufuor’s administration, we must be bold and speak the truth,” he said.

The former New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential hopeful indicated that despite the importance of parliament to the governance of the country, its members are not given the needed respect by the public.

He argued that the work of parliament was very critical as its members would sometimes have to rush to the house for urgent matters and therefore require some privileges, including the use of motorcades and sirens.

“Every money this country needs, it has to go through parliament but the society belittles us as if we are servants to them. Although we are servants to them, we also have to enjoy rights. I want you guys to be bold. Members have to be bold. In case there is an emergency and you need Members of Parliament from, say, Adenta to come here. If he enjoys a motorcade, is it a sin? Mr. Speaker, I am speaking for parliament, that it is a very important institution and therefore we should not be afraid also to demand opportunities for ourselves.

“If they are doing this to the speaker, then who are you? A member of parliament sitting here and we are the same people who are going to approve this (the amended act) and ministers, are you saying that ministers are also not important?” he quizzed.

He further complained that MPs do not receive some of the things they are entitled to, including police protection.

“I have no problem with judges, but they have police and you tell us that parliamentarians are equivalent to High Court judges. You go to their house, you see their cars, they have police. How many of us have police in our cars and you are waving your hands? You are afraid. Be bold and speak the truth."

He added that if the Speaker and MPs are not included in the bill, it would not be approved; saying "We also demand that we should be included, if not rescind it."

BAI/ ADG

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